The invention relates to the field of containers for storing liquids. More particularly, the invention relates to the field of attachments for containers having a removable lid for storing liquids such as paint.
Liquids may be stored in a variety of containers. In the visual art and construction industries, it is common for liquids to be stored in cans of various sizes. Various paints, stains, varnishes, urethanes, compounds, waxes, glues, epoxies, oils, and petroleum products, among other liquids, powders, and pastes, may be sold in and/or stored in metal or plastic cans which have a removable lid. For purposes of the present application, all such products are referred to as “paint” and their containers as “paint cans.” The various sizes of paint cans may include ¼ pint, ½ pint, pint, quart, ½ gallon, gallon, 3 gallon, and 5 gallon sizes among others and units.
Paint cans typically have an integrated internal rim located at a top portion of the can. The internal rim of a paint can typically cantilevers from the wall of the can towards the center of the can. The rim of the paint can may have an outer projection which extends outward from the wall of the paint can. The internal rim typically includes one or two grooves or valleys in concentric circles around the upper perimeter of the cylindrical paint can. If the can has two grooves, typically one of the grooves is deeper than the other. The grooves in the rim of the paint can form a channel for the purposes of securing the paint can lid to the paint can for longer term storage. The paint can lid typically has a circular ridge which tightly meshes with groove of the paint can lid. Typically the ridge is slightly larger than the groove so that a painter must exert a force, as with a mallet or hand, to secure the lid to the can. Forcefully securing the lid to the can via the ridge into the groove effectively seals the paint can.
It is common in the industry of visual arts and construction for painters to utilize the paint can not only for longer term storage but also as a temporary storage vessel while engaging in painting. That is, painters commonly dip a paint brush or other implement into the paint can and then apply paint from the brush or implement to a wall or other material. During such a process, the painter will typically scrape the brush or other implement against the internal rim of the paint can so as to remove an excess quantity of paint and achieve a desired level of paint on the implement. During this process, it is very common for the excess paint to become lodged in the groove of the rim of the paint can. This is problematic for several reasons. First, paint that remains in the groove may become hardened and thus wasted. Second, the paint that remains in the groove may reduce the effectiveness of seal between the lid and the paint can. Third, the paint that remains in the groove may lead to unplanned spills of paint thus damaging areas of the environment in which the painter did not intend to apply paint. For instance, when applying the paint can lid where paint has been lodged in the grove, the applying of pressure to seal the lid will cause the paint to “splatter.”
Even if a painter does not utilize the can as a storage vessel during painting, and, instead, pours the paint into another container, such as a pan for the rolling on of paint, residual paint may become lodged in the rim of the can through the pouring action. Such residual paint remains problematic for all of the reasons stated above including the tendency of the paint to drip down the edge of the can leading to mess and additional paint waste.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a device which may be attached to the rim of a paint can that prevents paint from entering the grooves of the rim of a paint can when the paint can is utilized as a storage vessel during painting. Additionally, there is a need in the art for a device which may be attached to the rim of a paint can that prevents paint from entering the grooves of the rim of a paint can when paint is poured from the paint can into another vessel. Similarly, there is a need in the art for a single device that may be attached to the rim of a paint can that prevents paint from entering the grooves of the rim of a paint can whether paint is poured from the can or the can is utilized as a storage vessel during painting.